Which version do you think is going to win with this Longer Lasting Lettuce Contest?
You know what I hate? I hate it when I go to make a salad, only to find out my lettuce has gone icky. Don’t you agree? I really enjoy a good salad, but I haven’t been having much of it lately, because it is winter. It is not because it is out of season that I haven’t been having salads, but because in the cold weather I am not in the mood for salad.
So I have been buying lettuce, but by the time I get around to making a salad, the lettuce has gone bad. I have been seeing pins for different ways to store lettuce all claiming to be wonderful and I wondered….which one is the most wonderful?
So, I hosted my very own longer lasting lettuce contest. The contestants began as three heads of Romaine Lettuce.
I washed and dried each leaf and then stored them four different ways. After two weeks, I found that all of the methods were effective, but one was my clear favorite.
Contestant number one was Lettuce in a Ziploc Bag with a paper towel wrapped around it. This came from Pinch My Salt.
This method was very efficient. It didn’t take up much room in the fridge, and there was very little browning after two weeks. I like this method for sandwiches, where you will be pulling out one leaf at a time. The remaining lettuce stays crisp and ready to go.
Contestant number two was Lettuce in a bag that you blow air into like a balloon and then tie it. This idea was from GrowVeg.com
This had pretty much the same result as the Ziploc bag, but you would have to have a larger bag for a larger amount of lettuce and it takes up more space.
Contestant number three was lettuce cut and prepped in a bowl with a paper towel laid on top and covered tightly with plastic wrap.
I liked this method because the lettuce is ready to go. Again very little browning or wilting. What I didn’t like was that it takes up a lot of space in the fridge.
Contestant number four is the winner for making salads! Thank you Hickory Holler Farm for the idea of storing lettuce in a Mason Jar.
While the results between all four methods were pretty similar, this lettuce stayed crisper than the others. But that is not why it won according to judge (me :)). It won, because you can pack quite a bit of lettuce in that jar! Since by design the jar is tall, it uses some of the vertical space. It even fits in the door of my fridge.
I love that the prep is done, and the lettuce is ready to go. That is really helpful to me on a busy weeknight.
If you will not be using all the lettuce in the jar for salad, I recommend putting the remaining lettuce in a ziploc bag with a paper towel, as shown above. Once the mason jar is open and the lettuce is exposed to more air, this method becomes less effective.
I now like having a jar or two ready to make a salad with dinner.
In anticipation of the warmer weather Spring is soon to bring us (and I’m counting on it. Man, I hate Winter), I wish you some happy salad making.
These Pins Rock!
Want your lettuce to last even longer? Try our Longer Lasting Fruit and Veggie Wash!
We love linking with: The Hopeless Housewife – Kitchen Meets Girl –Housewives of Riverton – 733 Blog – Southern Lovely – Adorned From Above – The Life of Jennifer Dawn – Gooseberry Patch – Someday Crafts – Wonderful Wednesday – Lady Behind the Curtain – And Sew We Craft – Ginger Snap Crafts – Lil Luna
Thanks for doing the experimenting for me! I’ve heard a lot about ‘salad in a jar’ and this has me sold on the idea.
Thanks Kim. So glad to hear from you. Sherri
What a neat experiment! Loved the idea of having it on the door of the fridge, too. I did a post a while back ago on what I do to prolong my veggies. You’ll have to check it out too: https://bakerette.com/?p=792
Jeni,
I checked out your post right away. Love the idea. Very smart.
Do you use a vacuum sealer to seal this or just seal it regularly with the seal and the ring? I have read that you are supposed to use a vacuum sealer, but can’t get that to work.
Thanks
I just screwed on the lid, no vacuum seal. Simple as could be. That’s part of the appeal for me. I recommend storing it in portions you will use all at once. If I take a little out at a time, it will start to go bad faster. It stays fresh longer if it is not opened repeatedly. So I only put in each jar enough for one salad for our family. Hope this makes sense. We are a small family, so I love tips that help my produce last longer. I have been using your tip on how to treat your Ziploc bags to store veggies longer. I love it! Great tip. So good news, no need for the sealer! Just screw on the lid and you are good to go.
Thanks so much, bought all the lettuce etc this morning, will be putting together salad jars this evening for lunch at work all week!!
Great Jen! It is so convenient.
Love this post Sherri. My preferred method is the Ziplock bag, only rather than paper towels, I use food-safe coffee filters. Paper towels contain chemicals & glue. Thank you for sharing your experiment results with the internet world.
Great tip with the coffee filters! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
have you received any notice that all your ads really slowdown your site?
Thanks for the heads up Lina! We are looking into that right now!
I like the lettuce in a jar, too (or in a Seal-A-Meal container), but I DO reseal it each time I remove some lettuce. It’s easy to do and my lettuce will last more than two weeks that way. I purchased an “adapter” for the Seal-A-Meal that fits on regular and wide-mouth Mason jars.
Thanks for letting us know, Mary. That sounds like a great idea. – Sherri
It looks like the lettuce that’s in the jar is cut. Must you use a plastic knife or doesn’t it matter? Great idea, and am definitely going to try this method, so that I can actually use a whole head. Thanks Lila
I cut mine with a knife and it still kept well!
That is a real life-saver! Thank you for this idea, it works perfectly!
Thanks RainDrop. So glad to hear it worked for you too!
It’s better to tear the lettuce into small pieces instead of cutting it. Cuts down on the edges starting to turn brown.